Hey guys,

My names John, just your average college student with a fascination with weapons of every nature. I'm finally out of my old apartment and into a normal house, with a big yard! I want to try my hand at forging. I have made a couple of knives out of files, but I wasn't able to get fancy with them because I didn't have a good way to heat them up. I am going to make a forge soon, but I was wondering how you guys got your anvils? I have been looking on **** and craigslist, but my choices are slim and crazy expensive. I'm on a college budget, so I can't afford to drop 400 on an anvil. I'm wondering if there are any true alternatives to anvils, or a way to make one at home?

Also, while I'm at it, my roommate Lauren had a steel drum that looks kinda old. Its not too rusted but they punched a few holes in the bottom and side at the base, to vent it for fires. I have a few random ideas on how to use it as a forge, but those are just guesses on what could work.   :D   I want to see what you guys have to say.  

Thanks in advance,

JL

Go to your local scrap yard, look around, you would be surprised at what you may find.  In a pinch a piece of railroad track can work for a while.

Thanks! I didn't even consider that, although I'm not sure if there is one near me. I'd still love to hear what others think.

There's a scrap/recycling yard near me that has several old fork lift forks.  If you got a few sections of those and put them together, you have an anvil.  The first anvil I hammered on was a friend's and was I think around 5"x5" of mild steel.  It was a few feet long though and held upright.  If you can get something with mass under where you're hammering, life will be better.  There are a lot of things in this hobby that are ideal and may make things a bit easier, but equally as many or more things that will work.  A little creativity and you'll be able to find something to work for the time being.  Be careful, though-it's all kinds of addictive....   .


Jeremy

Thanks, I kinda figured I could use some random hunk of metal. Just wanted to hear it from someone else! haha. I'm sure I will get a real one later on, but I want to make sure I'm any good first    

Get ahold of Wayne Goddard's book "The $50 Knife Shop" (or something very close to that) at a bookstore or library. He has some suggestions in there and shows a couple that he got on the cheap. I think one was a massive hunk of steel from a railroad coupling. A blacksmith kind of needs a real anvil to accommodate all the different shapes of metal work he does. I think knifemakers can get by, if they need to, with just a big block of steel. Needs and wants are sometimes different    

I got lucky and found a used anvil cheap that, while not a "big name", is decent for my purposes. Truth be told, though, I never really use anything but the flat top surface and edges.

Thanks for the referral. I'll take a look at it.